I always like my milestone “hundreds” stranger photos to be special. Stranger 100 was Johnny who’d just saved a young girls life as an RNLI Life Guard in Skegness, Stranger 200 was Kirsty, a beautiful young lady who was setting up the outside tables of a bar on Christmas Eve 2019 and Stranger 300 was Steph a Transgender woman who I met in Hockley as she was making her way home from her first appointment at the NHS Gender Reassignment Clinic.
I think my stranger photo 400 continues the high milestone standards . Meet Dave, Hannah and Steve, three of Nottinghamshire Police Firearms unit.
Nottingham’s Winter Wonderland is now open. It’s a Christmas event running until the New Year. Ice Skating , bars , food, funfair, craft stalls, live music, it’s a popular event run by the Mellors Group.
I had a walk around the fair on Wednesday morning. I noticed three armed police officers patrolling the area. I thought they would be ideal for my 400th stranger photo / story.
I followed them though the centre of the market square and they stopped near the ice rink. I decided to ask them for a photo.
“Hi I’m an amateur photographer, I take photos of people I meet on the street, is it OK to take your photo?”
Hannah and Steve seemed really keen to have their photo took.
“As long as you make me look good” was Steve’s response.
I think Dave just went along with the other two for the photo request.
“Can you move closer together please?”
I told them I would be putting the photos onto social media, Instagram and my 365 project.
“How many followers do you have?” asked Steve
“Almost 800 on Instagram”
Steve nodded in approval !!!
The officers were deployed as a deterrent, the team would be at the event for the duration of the market, to make the public feel safe.
That was it, I asked the names of the officers and introduced myself as Phil.
I hope you like my 400th stranger photo, I think it is an iconic shot. Who’d have thought we would have armed Police Officers at an event to celebrate the festive season.
For overseas readers, Police officers in England, Scotland and Wales don’t carry firearms.
Firearms are carried by specially-trained firearms officers.
If you want to see my milestone strangers they are here ....
100:
https://365project.org/phil_howcroft/365/2017-08-18
200:
https://365project.org/phil_howcroft/365/2019-12-24
300:
https://365project.org/phil_howcroft/365/2022-02-28
Hi Everyone , thanks for all the positive comments and words of support. I thought you might like to know that my daughters read my 365 posts and Claire my youngest daughter said that she went to school with Steve (he was in a year below her at school and best mates with one of Kirsty and Claire's friends on our street) . What do they say about "Police Officers looking younger all the time" !!! Thanks again for the support
@carole_sandford a sad time of the times Carole
@corinnec Merci Corinne , very kind of you to say